The Systemic Failure of Bullying

Timothy Birdnow In a recent article at American Thinker Elise Cooper argued for new programs and more school involvement to reduce bullying. As she rightly points out bullying is on the rise in modern America, and the temptation to turn to psychologists, schools and government is strong - even for conservatives. I fear the notion that bullying can be stopped through governmental programs is misguided. Laws and programs cannot and will not work because they address the wrong issues, or try to treat symptoms of a deeper malady.

What is bullying? What are the characteristics of a bully? What are the motivations and behaviors of a bully?

"Bullying occurs when a child or children repeatedly harass, intimidate, hit, or shun another child who is weaker physically or has less social standing. Bullying often involves verbal or physical aggression and may include hitting, shoving, or taking money or belongings." And they list the characteristics of a bully: " * May witness physical and verbal violence or aggression at home. They have a positive view of , this behavior and they act aggressively toward other people including adults. * May hit or push other children. * Are often physically strong. * May or may not be popular with other children around their same age. * Have trouble following rules. * Show little concern for the feelings of others. Many bullies think highly of themselves. They like being looked up to. And they often expect everyone to behave according to their wishes. Children who bully are often not taught to think about how their actions make other people feel."

Research by psychologists at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs pretty much confirmed these characteristics were common in bullies. According to the paper:

"A variety of studies have dealt with psychological disturbance in bullies and/or victims. Kumpulainen, Rasanen, and Henttonen (1999), in a longitudinal study of 1268 children aged 8and 12 years studied at two time points for incidence of bullying behavior, found that children who bully had significantly more psychiatric symptoms than other children. Specifically, bullies exhibited greater psychopathology on externalizing disorders and greater hyperactivity than controls. Additionally, Craig (1998) found that bullies exhibited more antisocial behavior and physical aggression than non-bullies, but they also exhibited lower levels of anxiety. In contrast, victims showed increased depression and anxiety. Bullies, in Craig’s study, did not show elevated levels of depression. All three Axis I hypotheses were supported.

The bullying group produced significantly higher means than the controls for Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Disorder, and ADHD scales, and all had large effect sizes. It was hypothesized, in general, that some personality disorders would be more prevalent in the bullying group compared to controls, and this hypothesis was partially supported. However, the finding that the bullying group was elevated (compared to controls) with a large effect size on the Histrionic scale was somewhat surprising. Therefore, a post hoc t test item analysis was conducted for the eight items on the scale. Interestingly, the item representing Criterion 7 ends-IV-TR ‘‘is suggestible, i.e., easily influenced by others or circumstances’’ produced the highest t value of the eight items, and it had a large effect size."

See Table 1 for the actual numbers:

The Coolidge et. al. paper theorizes about neurobiological differences that may "cause" this behavior, but one could as easily argue that the behavior caused changes in the brain chemistry and structure; work by Jeffrey Schwarz of U.C.L.A. and others on neuroplasticity suggest that the brain may often change to accommodate thought patterns. So bullies hold certain common characteristics.

One thing that has always struck me was the similarity between the common schoolyard bully and the rapist. Consider; both seek to torment their victims through emotional and physical abuse. Both seek to feel empowered at another’s expense. Here is an overview of the psychological profiles of rapists. Note the similarities between rapists and bullies. These same characteristics hold true for serial killers

. Rapists and serial killers generally cannot be stopped by persuasion or counseling. I am not suggesting bullies will turn into rapists and serial killers, but that there is a common underlying cause . It then becomes a matter of degree.

The sexual revolution has hypersexualized our youth and at the same time destroyed the family. Out-of-wedlock births have skyrocketed here in the United States and, indeed, worldwide. Children with married parents frequently are babysat by the television as the parents - tired from working to pay for the new cars, the Mcmansion, the latest gadgets and technology - just don't have time for the kids. And now, more than ever, children expect ever more in the way of amusements and status symbols while the parents feel the persistent squeeze of an ailing economy.

And what is that babysitter teaching the children? Easy, no consequence sex, violence, vengeance, and extraordinarily bad manners.

Hypersexualization, it should be pointed out, is a shared characteristic of rapists and serial killers. And the accompanying abortion is the ultimate form of bullying; the weakest among us are destroyed by the strongest simply because they are an inconvenience. What does that teach the children?

Meanwhile children are becoming increasingly conscious of their status on Facebook and the other social media, and a bad rating from a peer can crush their self-esteem. Instant electronic fame has become the operating principle of the computer age, and the youths of this country are desperate to possess it at any and all costs. They post pictures of themselves naked, or doing some very crazy or stupid things, hoping someone will notice them. Their sense of self-worth is increasingly bound up with the fickle opinions of the peanut gallery in cyberspace, at a time when their parents hold little influence over their values. The children are increasingly emotionally fragile in a world that is increasingly course and vulgar, increasingly hostile.

Liberalism has done this. It has atomized our society through appeals to selfish impulses and self-absorbed thinking. Feminism has turned men into not just unnecessary accoutrements but into actual liabilities, and boys are taught in schools that they are natural predators. If you are a natural predator why should you not follow your true course? Liberalism also teaches that "if it feels good, do it" and we hear all about how we have no right to judge anyone. If judging is wrong and men are natural predators why not be a bully? They are taught the futility of self control. They are taught that everything is a disease or hardwired into their brains, be it homosexuality or ADHD or drug or alcohol abuse or even criminality. They are just born that way! Why not act out on their anger? Children are taught that there is nothing beyond the animal nature, no soul, no eternal judge. Why not bully? And children, no longer chained to the mundane chores that used to accompany youth, have the energy and time to stalk and abuse others. Meanwhile modern psychological thinking says we must not correct them for fear of damaging their tender sensibilities; we have to give them trophies for participating and thus take the struggle out of any activity. That struggle built a sense of self-worth and channeled their energy into something productive. They now have no real challenges in their lives, and seek the recognition that once came from sports or work elsewhere. Oh, and we are told we must never, ever physically discipline a child.

It is a society where the rules are ever fluid and there is no objective right or wrong. It is a society where children must find their own way, stumble blindly through a jungle of ravenous beasts out to devour them, and the adults will not give them any real guidance because too few believe there is any objective reality. It is a society where, as Lisa Fabrizio points out, children do not know who they are

.Is it any wonder that, with the triumph of Progressivism in our world, bullies are on the rise?

Consider Saul Alinsky:

"Pick the target freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it."

What did Alinsky, father of modern political radicalism, mean? He meant bully those who disagree with you. And Alinsky was simply codifying older Leftist precepts, such as "political power flows from the barrel of a gun". And the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, was an ardent fan of Alinsky. Obama has always put this into practice, too, winning all save his campaign against the Stockholm Syndrome John McCain by destroying his enemies personally. The youth of our generation see this.

They saw the Democrats remain silent when Progressives called George W. Bush Hitler or Dick Cheney Darth Vader. They saw no objections when books about assassinating Bush were hailed as highly entertaining. They have seen the politics of personal destruction first hand. If those in authority - their leaders and teachers - see nothing wrong with bullying why not?

Progressives, I might add, really do not care to stop it any more than they worry about crime; it serves their purposes. They can impose more government control. How long before cameras are in all of our schools ostensibly to stop bullying? The real purpose will be to prepare the next generation for permanent government surveillance. And of course gay rights has latched onto bullying as a tool to pass laws and establish special protections, to promote the gay agenda. Consider how Dan Savage - anti-bullying Czar - bullied Christian children who disagreed with his gay rights agenda. .

So how do we stop it? Schools are not the answer. Schools are bullies in their own right, often insulting and ridiculing children who dare disagree with the Left.

My mother was an elementary school teacher in the old days, and her solution to bullying was to simply turn her back when the bullied child finally balled up his or her fist. Today my mother would be OUT, and likely face lawsuits and perhaps be prosecuted. But letting the bully take a punch was the traditional way to control bullying, along with a wooden paddle judiciously applied. Today we are told that "violence does not solve anything" and that it merely perpetuates the problem. Well, violence solved the problem with Nazi Germany, and while letting a bully take a few punches may not solve all problems, it certainly solves that particular act of aggression. Today programs and zero tolerance policies do nothing but reinforce the bully, because he can do it stealthily and feels empowered with the ease with which he gets away with it. If he gets caught they will say he is sick, and put him on medication at worst.

No, the only real solution will be a long, laborious return to moral precepts and principles. We have to reverse the insanity of liberalism, which will take time and an enormous amount of effort. Bullying is ultimately a moral and spiritual malady; it cannot be solved by law or psychology or medication. Our schools and institutions have made the bullying epidemic, and they will be as powerless to stop bullying. It requires discipline, something that our Progressive friends refuse to allow.

Oh, yes, and it requires a return of God to our schools - something they will never, ever allow. Without a moral code, an absolute standard then why not?

(Thanks to Jack Kemp for timely advice with this piece.) Read more from Tim and friends at www.tbirdnow.mee.nu

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Good for you to see love, colorless. Your girlfriend thinks like I do... and no one said it better than Martin Luther King, Jr...not to judge by the color of one's skin but by the content of his/her character..." It's the Left who wants to divide up into groups, and turn every group; against whites....like Hitler did in Germany....to make dehumanize them...so that when blacks or others beat up on whites, the masses will say..."they deserve it...after all they've done to others..."

Of course , if you asked white people today if they own slaves or their grandparents or great-grandparents did...the "numbers' would dwindle to nil but that's all the Left has...is their own sense of "justice", agenda setting.

In a Curriculum class I had at Pacific Oaks College, our class was very diversified....and in the beginning, we all chatted together,and laughed about stuff, and shared our views...but within 6 weeks of the class, our teacher had separated us so badly into little racial groups, with hating whitey as the staple, that we separated from each other, began to accuse whites openly of all kids of things....esp....that "imprisoning blacks and Hispanic's was the New White Slavery". I was the only one to challenge their thinking.

"Are you saying that there are not blacks or Hispanic's who ever commit crimes, and whites ...od what? round them up and summarily put them in prisons for slave work?

Amazingly...it was white guys who were perpetuating this ....and they loved getting the attention of our black teacher...who nodded his approval. then other blacks chimed in sanctioning ...aggressively what the white guys were saying...as if to say..."don't even think about saying anything else..."

Here we were friends at first, sharing each other as human being do...and shortly after, the teacher had successfully alienated anyone who disagreed with his prejudice. This is what I got my Bachelor of Arts in:

Human Development!!!! If THAT prejudice is HUMAN DEVELOPMENT..we are really in a sorry state of being. Hate...taught in a school, supposed to be Quaker! yes! Quakers are supposed to TEACH PEACE. But evidently, they see PEACE and JUSTICE as sacrificing all whites on the altar of scapegoating them, and creating the illusion of Victimhood for all else...what nonsense ! It's still taking me years to recovery from their Insanity! I really praise you and your girlfriend and family....for your ability to love and step out of the crazymakers circle.

I simply don't understand the whole liberal racist accusatory mindset. It has to include liberal shrillness and woeful conservative ineptitude about getting the conservative message out.

My "girlfriend" ;-) is a wonderful black lady and she is considered part of our family. Our children call her auntie. A few elections ago, during an aldermanic race here, one candidate was black and one was white. She voted for the white guy because she thought he was better qualified, but then could not believe the vitriol she received from other blacks because she voted for the white guy. There is a wide range of conservative blacks, but they get either ignored or denigrated.

I asked why whites only, when I was at school, their answer was , "because there is so many"...huh? so it;s about numbers? There is no logical reasoning, indeed, only invalid prejudice that defies logic, that's why they never listen to truth or reasoning, they have no grounding to stand on...so they b.s. and intimidate...therefore, the bullying....and we wonder why our society is getting so violent..and less logical and caring...hum...I wonder .

Yeah, racism - one of the many liberal hypocrisies. Even if whites criticize someone of a different ethnicity on something not having anything to do with race, the term racist or bigot almost instantly gets flung around. I'm guessing because they really have no logical argument. The definition of race gets changed on a whim also in the liberal world. Obama, who is half black, is a black president, yet Cain (my first choice), who is all black, is somehow not "authentically" black.

Yes, that's what I'm talking about ...Politicizing the classroom, and starting there....and it's in both private and public...as if that curriculum is Federal/State mandated...

At Pacific Oaks College the prof's (both black) had no problem basing their entire class on Race Based Education. The subject is too large to cover here, but one had better be on that same page not just for the prof's approval, but for the students as well.

I'm a counselor, educated in school counseling and would NEVER tell any child or parent or anyone...to hate their own race-color-or creed..it's actually illegal and I wish white groups and others would start suing any institution that teaches us to do so....in reality, we cannot and shouldn't do it; legally, morally, or in any other way. As several black friends of mine have said..."White folks oughta be rising up against this hate whitey education...no black person would put up with it..." They are right!

No, I'm afraid I haven't read either book. We kind of got a first hand look at what I think you're talking about. Our oldest son was attending a private religious college when 9/11 occurred. Several months later he told us that he felt it his duty to enlist. We talked him in to trying to finish his education so as to hopefully have a leg up on the other enlistees. He transferred to a public university and experienced culture shock. While the private college had expectations of proper behavior, the public university had no expectations whatsoever. He then moved back home to finish some electives at the local technical college and had a "professor" who daily started class be trashing Bush and conservatives. Our youngest son, about a year and a half later, was taking police science courses and one of the required courses wound up having the same "professor." After about a month he dropped the class because the "professor" started every class the same way. Our son stopped listening because it just made him angry, so he figured what was the point of taking the class.

Our children started their academic life in public school, but after a few years and a few "skirmishes," we pulled our children out and sent them to parochial school. It was the best thing we could have done for our family.

I love what you just said about "two eyes, two ears and one mouth..." Have you ever read, John A. Stromer's book "None dare call it Education"...the documented account of how education "reforms" are undermining academic's and traditional values..." and also "Cloning of he American Mind: Eradicating Morality Through Education, by B.K. Eakman. they go into deep detail about what we are discussing here...and it's not "old school" they are discussing, they are talking about using education to take us in a whole new destructive path.

I used to live in Jerusalem, Israel and came back to America in 1994 and went back to college..in fact went to about 3 colleges....and was so amazed to hear the hate curriculum aimed at "White" people...esp. White males. It seems anyone can say anything negative about whites, but anyone with any white background is condemned on the spot! That is pure racism.

I was taking some law classes at the time, and said, "this is purely wrong....without due process, without a shred of evidence about me, you collective condemn me, my whole family, and anyone who is white, as if we are all White Supremists! That's racial prejudice on it's face...and yet they continue to get away with this form of Racist Education aimed at keeping all white's down with false guilt...and it was the center focus of my education at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena, Ca. WE had to hate ourselves as having white Privilege..as if no black, Hispanic or anyone else has any "special privileges" What a lie it's all based on! Even when I brought in statistics to prove what they were teaching was false, invalid, and absurd, they turned deaf ears ....and blind eyes, and jut kept going on with their regiment of hate...

that was back in 2000...look at where we are now...every time the President opens his mouth...it;s lies that come out...

There's an old Yiddish expression....Half truths are Whole lies.." that's all he does it say half truths...then blame Rep. for his misdeeds....what a corrupt, ruthless, immoral man..and to think he;s leading our land!

Yup, as God's children, we are special to Him, as our own children are special to us.

Schools (at least public), from earliest on, have become more and more about ideology and indoctrination and less and less about actual education.

I have nieces and nephews who know all about the rain forests, global warming, etc., etc., but have never even heard of the Federalist papers, I don't know if some of them even know the pledge of allegiance, and don't know John Hancock from Herbie Hancock.

I guess we are the "old school." Yes, I'm showing my age, but through high school, teachers had no problem with corporal punishment. And if we dared come home and complain about it, we'd get it again from mom and dad (note, mom AND dad, an unfortunately waning pairing). We were stressed that God gave us two eyes, two ears and one mouth so that we would watch and listen twice as much as we spoke. The teacher was in charge of the class and we were expected to shut up and listen and only speak when called upon. That doesn't happen any more.

Dwight, I totally agree with you. 'special" , as I wrote, to share the "gifts" God gave us...so they are healthy and contribute to society, not kill people off. In fact, Adam Lanza, and many of the other school shooters is exactly what I mean by the wrong sense of "Entitlement"...as if to say, "You hurt me, so I'm entitled" to hurt you back, even bigger. Where is all this false sense of Entitlement coming from?

Look no further than our President and our educational progressives that set the curriculum; and demand god-less-ness, in favor or self idolatry.

Also on "Special"...remember back in the "70's- 80;s, I think it was Jesse Jackson and his Rainbow Push, where he taught that black people were; "special"...and he had kids wearing badges that said, "I am Special"...I remember that because I was in education then and it caught on....that whole "Specialness" message. I think we are all "Special" in God's eyes, but not this Orwellian thing of We are so Special, and some are more Special than others....huh? Confusion Education, built on ideology.

Dorothy - I'll admit that I haven't reread the article, but if I remember correctly, the Yale emblem originally had a reference to God in it, but was taken out some time ago.

My only quibble (and a minor one at that) with your kind comment is that children are special to their families, but, at least in the early years, in society they are more unique than anything. What makes them "special" in a social environment is what they make of themselves and what they do with their lives.

You can be "special," but not necessarily in a good way. John Holmes was "special." Adam Lanza was "special." We define (at least in schools) "special" so broadly that, if everyone is "special," then no one is "special." We need the kind of special that we find in positive role models.